Hi, I am Logan ,and I have had this problem that I can't seem to find on the internet. I believe it to be a form of anxiety but I am not sure. I can talk to people but I can get a bit embarrassed easily, mostly with kids my age I cant keep eye contact. Adults I work fine with, but the real problem is that like in large crowds of people I freeze. Like last year I went to prom with my girlfriend and I like couldn't dance at all and in like the mosh pit I just stood there and had a terrible time. It's like I don't know how to react and I don't know how to change it. The main reason I want to fix it is because this year me and my girlfriend are going to a huge music festival, Fire Fly. And I don't want to be awkward, I want to have a good time and not freeze. Any sort of advice would be helpful because I am lost. Btw I am 19.

As Elsa said, it does sound like social anxiety, which is actually quite common, particularly in young adults. So you're definitely not alone!

My advice would be to speak to someone about it. A counsellor would be ideal. There are lots of coping strategies out there and even a quick search on the Internet should give you some ideas.

I found that what helped me was gradually exposing myself to these sorts of social situations, building up gradually. To be honest, even now I still wouldn't want to go to a huge music concert, but that is my choice rather than something I feel forced to avoid because of anxiety.

As for difficulty with eye contact, that is more of a confidence issue and, again, is something that can be worked on. During the teenage years, I found making eye contact tricky, but I realised that if I didn't do it then people would think negatively of me. As humans, we instinctively distrust those who cannot meet our gaze.

So, in summary, both of the problems you mentioned can be dealt with, but it will be a lot easier if you have someone to work on them with, such as a counsellor. I don't know how you feel about this or if you have access to one..? If you are in education, there will be one working in your establishment. If not, they can be found privately.